Collegiate Running Association announces partnership with Thunderbunny 12K Trail Run
2019 Collegiate Trail Running Championships will be held within the Thunderbunny 12K Trail Race
February 3, 2019 – Athens, OH - The Collegiate Running Association (CRA) and the Southeastern Ohio Trail Runners (SEOTR) are excited to announce a partnership which will bring the 2019 Collegiate Trail Running National Championship to Athens, Ohio. The 12K event will be the second Collegiate Trail Running National Championship ever held and will offer prize money specifically reserved for college students.
“We are thrilled to announce this partnership,” said Collegiate Running Association Co-Founder Steve Taylor. “One of the goals of the CRA is to create opportunities for college students in areas of the sport which do not currently exist. The Thunderbunny 12K provides an opportunity for college students to compete for a national championship in trail running. We are ardent supporters of trail running, and this event will open trail running to a broader group - in some cases, college students who have never participated in a trail run or race.”
The Thunderbunny 12K is scheduled for May 11 and will take place in Strouds Run State Park near Athens, Ohio, the home of Ohio University. It sits on the fringes of the city of Athens with park boundaries coinciding with the city limits in several places. The course is a mixture of mostly single track dirt and grass trails and will have a total of 1,099 feet of elevation gain spread throughout the beautiful loop course. The park comprises 2,600 acres, and includes Dow Lake, a 160-acre lake created in 1960. The start and finish lines are located next to the lake which is a common destination of Ohio University students to enjoy the weather on sunny spring or summer days.
“We are excited to be headed to Athens” continued Taylor. “The SEOTR is known for their awesome trail races and we are looking forward to the growth of this event in the years to come. Athens and the entire Ohio Valley is full of passionate supporters of active, healthy lifestyles as is demonstrated by the creation of events like this. This is a great community with Ohio University and Athens being known for famous festivals. It’s a college community where people enjoy the outdoors. Having grown-up in nearby Saint Marys, WV, there are abundant cities and college towns within a 250-mile radius that we believe will be drawn to this event in the years to come. I’ve known Athens as a welcoming community and it’s exciting to bring a Collegiate National Championship to the area.”
“SEOTR is excited to partner with the CRA to bring the Collegiate Trail Running National Championship to Athens at the Thunderbunny 12K. The Thunderbunny Trail Runs is already such a great weekend and this will make it even better with more opportunity for college runners” said Michael Owen, SEOTR Director. Owen added, “I've been a big promoter of college runners getting into the sport of trail running, and SEOTR shares that same belief. I teach a trail running course at Ohio University, and it's always exciting seeing the passion this age group has for the trails. So, bringing the Collegiate Trail Running National Championship to Athens gives not just OU students, but college runners all around country, a great opportunity to fuel their passion for trail running. Whether a recreational runner, or a elite runner, they'll have an opportunity to be part of a great sport, and I hope this type of opportunity motivates them to stay involved beyond college”.
Participants will be chasing $3,000 in Total Prize Money Reserved for Eligible College Students who have taken or currently taking at least one college course since January 1, 2019.
College Men & Women (Eligible College Students)
1st Place - $750
2nd Place- $500
3rd Place- $250
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About the Collegiate Running Association
The Collegiate Running Association (CRA) is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded November, 2013 with a mission to promote healthy lifestyles among college students by providing and expanding opportunities in the sport of running. The vision of the CRA is to offer national championship events in road, mountain, and trail running with prize money specifically reserved for college students enrolled in at least one class. Since 2014, the CRA has awarded over $100,000 in prize money specifically to college students in road, mountain and trail running events. Membership is open to the public (click here).
Follow the CRA on TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, and LINKEDIN.
About Southeastern Ohio Trail Runners (SEOTR)
Southeastern Ohio Trail Runners (SEOTR) is a non-profit group-exempt organization through the parent organization of the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA). A 501(c)3 "Event Management Company" under the RRCA. SEOTR's actions are voted on by a board of directors, with the function to carry out events to meet the mission of SEOTR.
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Contact: Collegiate Running Association
